Candle-making machine.



C. H. HAWKINS.

CANDLE MAKING MAcHxNE.-

. u APPLICATIN FILED JUNE 30,1917. 1,271,512.

Patented July 2, 1918. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 www y MQW CHARLES H. HAWKINS, OF FREEPORT, N EW YORK, ASSIGNOR`TO STANDARD OIL COM- PANY NEW YORK, NEW YORK, N.,Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CANDLE-MAKING MACHINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1918.

Application led J' une 30, 1917. Serial No. 178,023.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. HAWKINS, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of the town of Freeport, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Candle- Making Machines, of which the following is a specification. v y

, It is the purpose of this invention tosc construct the operative parts of the machine that it shall be adapted to the yrapid, ineX- pensive and accurate manufacture of candles of very small size, variously known as birthday candles, toy candles, Christmas candles, and the like. Prior to my invention it has been found in the practical manufacture impossible to make candles of a smaller diameter than about tive sixteenths of an inch, andn in order that a candle of that diameter sh all present an attractive appearance, it is nec-essary that its length ,shall bear the proper relation to its diameter, with the result that a candle of such size will burn for approximately half to three quarters of an hour, too lo-ng a time for the most acceptable use upon a birthday cake, or similar social occasion, so that a demand has arisen for candles of much smaller size, both in diameter and length, which will present a more attractive because so to speak cunning appearance and which will burn out or be consumed in practically ten or twelve minutes, which will be the most acceptable periodof-illumination, and also will permitalgreater numer of candles and in a. given space than was possible with candles as heretofore constructed for this purpose and are also more desirable where weight is a consideration.

Yet, notwithstanding the demand, it has been found impractical to make candles ofv say three sixteenths of an' such small size,

inch in diameter and about two inches or thereabout in length with the ordina-rycandle making machines, so that it hasv been customary to make them from waxftapers which were cut into sections and then as a somewhat expensive, because time makingv end of each sect-ion process, fashion at one candle with protrudthe igniting end ofthe ing wick, so that they conveniently lighted at the time of use. My invention, therefore, relates to a machine, certain parts of which are vold and well own and certain parts new, whereby lcantheir appropriate holders v can be quickly and dles of the diameterV and length desired, however small, may be rapidly and inexpensively produced in large quantities.

In the drawings, Figure l is a. sidewise elevation of the machine, the parts being broken away and certain parts omitted; Fig. 2 is an endwise elevation of that which is shown in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View of one of the candle forming molds, showing the movableplunger therein.

Referring to the drawings, l represents the frame of the machine, 2 the usual water tank, 3 the usual wax tray, 4 the water inlet pipe, 5 the water exit pipe, a crank, or equivalent source of power, whereby through the usual set of gearing 7 8, 9, '10 and 11, the usual rack bars l2 and 13, and the transverse shaft 14, the plunger carrying plate l5 (see Fig. 1) is lifted and depressed. It will be understood of course that the train of gearing above referred to occurs at both sides of the machine, the set opposite the crank being actuated by the counter shaft 14, and that the racks 12 and 13 engage with each corner of the plunger supporting and operating plate l5.

Supported at their lower end upon the bottom of the water tank and at their upper end in the bottom of the lwax tray, are a series of candle molds 16, preferably provided with suitable' packing 17 and nut 18, so as to secure a. tight jointat the bottom, and with suitable threading 19 in the bottom of the waX tray at the top. The upper ends of these molds are flush with the bottom of the tray. There are a. greatnumber of these molds, several hundred, even a thousand or more in each machine. They are placed close together. A vertical hole is made through the upper part of each of the molds of such diameter as will'equal' the diameter of the desired candle and within' each mold a vertically movable vplunger 20 is arranged. it is enlarged as shown :1t-2l at its upper end and within the enlarged portion and extending downwardly somewhat therefrom, molten metal 22, of suitable character, preferably block tin, is pouredduring the construction of the plungers, andis thereafter machined in such manner as `to produce the rdesired. shape of the ignition end of the candle, a desirable shape being shown in Fig. 3. Also a central hole is bored through the block tin, or equivalent material, through which the wick 23 passes,

orothei filling ,212, the hollow plun-f its lower end, arid and below` the block tin, the wick. extends throng ger' 20, projeeti-g below proceeds thence downwardly to a spool, bob

the wicks are bin, or shaft, upon which v wound. The vertically movable plr'i'gei'fsQO are each supported at their lower end lby the veaiauy nio-tatie plate 15, as' siiwii is' lower part f the mold rlheir stems or s'pmdles"are'soniewhat small'erthan the hole'in the lower part` of' the moldsxthrough which they move, .thus avoiding the considerable power that would be necessary to elevat'e and depress theplate 15 andthe multitude of plungers carried it, if they had even approximately atight lit lt will of course be understood that the constructionY above described Vis present ateaoh of the many molds in the machine; so that each-is supplied with its own `ver tically movable plungercarrying the wick frtheindividual candle to'be made in each mold as described. The' operation is as follows Assume that the-driving. mechanism has been so manipulatedthat the `plate 15 carrying withit all the `plungers has descended to the lowest point; so that' the'pa-rts are in the position shown inl Fig; 3, in that the enlarged upper' end 21 of eachplu'riger fits snugly against the' contracted lower ortion of the candle molding section in each ofthe molds after the fashion ofja check valve, thus eHectually sealing the vjoint againstydownward movement, of the wax.

The tankQis normally filled with water;-

alternately hot or cool, and itwill be noted that lthe' water inlets and outlets -arc large, so that the volume of water which coutinuf ally passes through Athe apparatus is sulfi-l ciently largeto effectgquickwarming and cooling ofthe.apparatus` As the first operation,y yhot' watery is intro,- ducedthrough the water supplypipe 4; which promptly expels the rela-tively cool water formerlyv in the tank, 2 through the overflow [5.' Within a minute;` or two'allgofthe molds 16 are suflicientlyheated by the incoming het. mit pours into thewaxtray amount of melted wax to lill allthe candle moldsand in order. .to assure this result his experience guides him in distributing the' mel-tedwax overrtliebottom of the tray? all the molds ,have

in Such, manner; that after beenfilled, there shall be a 'hlm ofgperhaps an eighth or a quarter of an inchin Vthickness ofthe wax-upon the bottom of the tray,- thus assuring the complete filling jof `the molds. Thereupon the Vsupply of waxis cut 'Water from the tank-2-v freedom of movement in which it will be noted Water; ffhereup'on an attend- V 3 arsuficient oifithe hot water supply is lso turned 0H and the` cold water turned on,v and it, in turn quickly ,jefzpels j the hotj Vor Aat least :warm

quickly chills each 1of the molds between and through which it rapidly circulates. As soon as the lIiioldsY hav e become sufficiently cooled teY set,

thel wai, the cold water is in turn" shut off' and the operator then preferably using a y knife and n resembles aydust pan;`4 erf steel tool known as a which roughly K flattened scoop,v the edge'of which is sha-rpcned,` andy which preferably somewhataccurately `fits the botto of the' wax tray,' slices off the'eiicess" wax from the bottom of the' tray, iny so doing s'licihglolf` :also Vthe butt endsof all of thecan'dles and thelexcess of wick, leaving the end' of the' candles flush and square with the bottom/i of thewax tray; Thev eXcess'waX and remnants of wicking are received inthe scoop-likeknife and by theA operator throwninto a-'suitable place of deposit for. re melting and straining; The operator then turns the prank (l,- which topping lifts the plate 15, carryingup with itv all of.

the many plungersQO, each ofwhich pushes upward through the-nw emptywaz tray the candle made in the mold to which it' bei longs and in so doing-also unwinding from the wick spooh bobbin or shaft an appr@ priate amount of wich for the nent succeeding candle. The candles projected up'- wardly from the upper ends of the plungers, as stated-5 in d-ue course engage with the usual candle supporting" and holding racks',k which 'since they form no. .part ofA this invention and are well understo'od'have not been illustrated. v

Thereupon thel operator reverses'thecrank 6, the plate 15 descends carrying with it allr ofthe plungers, which, again vattain their primary position, shown iny Fig, 35V leavingf the wick` 23 projecting upwardly through eachof thelnolds; and stillattached to each of the candlesx so that tliey;}a1'ev held in'perf fect vertical alinement. filling-the molds is repeated and the second batch of ,candlesfproduced Asy soon as they keenly in the manufactures-br ,machined the tremely small'eandles; hererefer-{red toe; It is aeSSentawthatthe Stein part ,of-1 these' freely and without any binding-action whatever through the smallopeningmade inthel lower part of each of .the molds'and thisA The operation of' simple lt maylseem; is V`a matter of great importando' plungelvSQShallg be*` small, not Vmaterially` larger than a ystraw,becausethey must pass opening must be materially smaller than the size of the candle to be made in the mold because it is necessary that there be a shoulder at the bottom of the candle bore of the molds to act as a seat for the enlarged or bell shaped part of the plungers to act as valves to prevent the hot wax from passing downwardly into the contracted passageway below, which would quickly clog the entire apparatus, and not only must the plungers themselves be small. not largerv than a straw, as I have said, but they must be hollow in order that the wick may pass up through them. Therefore since it has been found practically impossible to bore a brass or copper wire from end to end with a hole so small as to permit the passage of the Wick, and then machine the outer side of the rod or wire to reduce it to proper dimension, the only feasible way of making the plungers is that invented and illustrated by me, that is to say, I take a good quality brass tubing of a suitable size and carefully expand one end into the bell shapedV terminal 21, as shown in Fig. 3, and then fill the bell shaped enlargement and so much of the tubular portion adjoining it as desired with a suitable non-corroding metal, preferably block tin because it has but little tendency to expand and contract under changes of temperature, and after the block tin is cooled, I machine it to the shape shown in Fig. 3, or other desired form, leaving a central hole therein suiiiciently large to receive the Wick.

It will be obvious to those who are familiar with such matters that departures may be made from the details of construction and method of operation described by me and still the essentials of the method and of the machine be employed. I therefore do not limit myself to the details of that which I have above described and illustrated.

I claim: s

l. A plunger for candle making molds adapted for the manufacture of toy candles, comprising a longitudinally hollow stem smaller than the part of the mold through which it moves, an enlarged cup shaped member at the upper end of the stem and integral therewith, and a lining for the cup shaped member of noncorrosive metal immovably attached thereto, so machined as to conform to the ignition end of the candle and perforated to permit the passage of the wick therethrough.

2. In a candle making machine a longitudinally hollow mold the bore whereof has two diameters, the upper part being of the same diameter as the candle and the lower part of less diameter, a plunger adapted to work within said mold comprising a longitudinally hollow stem smaller than the part of the mold having the lesser diameter, an enlarged cup shaped member at the upper end of the stem and integral therewith and adapted to substantially it the part of the mold having the larger diameter but too large to enter the part having the lesser diameter, and a lining for the cup shaped member of noncorrosive metal immovably `attached thereto, so machined as to conform to the ignition end of the candle and perforated to permit the passage of the wick therethrough, the lower end of the stem of the plunger being loosely connected with a vertically movable plate or frame.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES H. HAWKINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.- 

